Cotton picker



June 20, 1950 e. P. LUCIUS 2,512,109

COTTON PICKER Filed Dec. 16. 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 wucmtm June 20, 1950 G. P. LUCIUS 2,512,109

COTTON PICKER Filed Dec. 16. 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 650F615 [ac/a s L 61mm June 20, 1950 e. P. LUClUS 2,512,109

COTTON PICKER Filed Dec. 16. 1946 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 650665 flue/a5 I M G. P. LUCIUS COTTON PICKER June 20, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 16. 1946 I INVENTOR. 6508651 A ac {as G. P. LUCIUS COTTON PICKER June 20, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 16. 1 946 GEOEGE'PZZZC/ZZS fiatented June 2Q, 1950 George P. Lucius, Drew, Miss-, assignor of one-'- Q? fourth to J. A. Clark, one-fourth to V. R. Burnham, one-fourthto H. LeeiHerring, allvof Rule- I ville, Miss.

Application December 16, iaiafsjei 1N6, 716,571

This invention relates to cotton pickers. An object of this invention is to provide a mechanical cotton picker which will pick the 5 cotton bolls from the plants and will deposit the picked cotton on a, conveyor extending from the rear of the machine from which the cotton may be discharged into a collector.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cotton picking machine which includes a picker reel having a plurality of radially disposed rotatable pickers mounted thereon, and each picker including a plurality of picking fingers spring mounted on the picker arms or shafts so that the cotton bolls picked by the picking fingers can be stripped therefrom by the stripping members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cotton picker of this kind which may be designed for one or more rows of plants and may be pulled and operated by a tractor, or maybe drawn by animals. 7

A further object of this invention is to provide a cotton picker which is of relatively simple construction so that it will withstand hard usage.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, i Figure 1 is a, detail front elevation, partly broken away, of a cotton picker constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the device,

Figure 3 is a detail side elevation of the device opposite from Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 1,

- Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates generally a frame structure which is formed of opposite side members I l and upwardly convergent frame members l2 and I3 connected together by means of connecting bars M and I respectively. The frame I0 is substantially triangularin side elevation, as shown in Figures2, 3, and 4, and the lowerframe members ll constitute the base portion of the frame.

2 Claims. (0155644) "that the' fra'me may be connected toa tractor or other-'device'for pulling the frame over'the 'ground. 1 The frame lllhasmounted transversely therein a"picker constructiongenerally designated as I9. The picker construction I9 includes a shaft 20 which is journaled transversely across the b'ase' frame Hand has extending radially therefrom a plurality of spindles 0r picker members' generally designated"as2i. r I

The picker members 2|, as shown in Figure 5, aref'ormed of elongated tubular members-22, having bosses or bushings 23' at their inner end which -are'mounted in sockets'id formed in the shaft '20. The bosses or bushings 23 are rotatably held in the sockets 24 by means of caps 25 which are threaded onto the bushings 26 extending from --the shaft 20. Y I

Each picker shaft 22 has mounted thereonfa plurality of lengthwise spaced apart pairsof picker fingers" 21. The picker fingers-2T are-of "outwardly tapering construction and-are loosely mounted in elongated slots 28 formed in the tubular picker shaft 22. Each'pair of pickers 21 are irockably mounted onpins extending diametrically across the picker shaft 22, and ea'ch'picker "fingers 21' includes an angularly disposed arm 30 which is normally positioned within the interior of "the hollow picker shaft 20.- l

A spring 31 connects the two members of eac fpair of pickerfingers 21 so as to constantly urge these picker fingers toputwardly extended posi- "tion which isthe operative position of these picker fingers, as shown in Figure 5'. The tubular shaft '20 isalso formed with' slots .32 within which-the arms- 30 are adaptedto engage when the pickers areswung inwardlywith-respect to the slots-28. As shown'in Figure 4, there are two series of picker members mounted on the shaft 20 opposed relation, butit will be understood that as many of these picker members as may be desired may be 'mountedon the shaft20. The shaft 20 adapted tobe rotatedby means of a drive shaft 333 which extends'from the forward end of the "frame l0 andfis adapted to be coupled to the power take-0E of the tractor or other suitable power means; The shaft 33 atits inner or rear I end is connected to atr'ansmission 34 of conventional construction, mounted on the base fram'e f I and the transmissionjt includes gear means coupled to the shaft 20 for rotationof the latter. .This gear means may include a gear 35 forming part of the transmissionjand: a gear 36 which 'is Ifi2 e ;0nt e;1 ha t '20-; 1. f In order tepmwae o'r'rotation of thehollow picker shaft 22 as they swing with rotation of the shaft 20, each picker shaft 22 has mounted on the inner end thereof a beveled gear 31. The several picker shafts 22 which are disposed in parallel relation on the shaft 20 are gear coupled together by means of gears 31 and 38. The outermost ones of the gears 31 are engaged with beveled gears 39 carried by a gear carrier 40 which is formed with a hub 41 fixed by fastening means 42 to the shaft 20. There are two of these gears 39, one for each series of picker members and the gears 39 are adapted to mesh with astetionary ring gear 43 which is fixed by fastening means 44 to the inner portion of the base frame II, as shown in Figure 4.

In order to provide for removal of the cotton bolls which are removed from the plants by the picker fingers or members 21,1 have provided a rotary stripper or doffing means generally designated as 45. The stripper 45 includes asha-ft 43 having fixed thereto aplurality of stripper rods 101' bars 4-1. The stripper rods .or bars 41 are :adapted to engage between pairs of picker .shaft 22, as shown in Figure ,1 s that when the picker shafts =22 engage between the stripper members :41, the spring-pressed finger 1 will have th cotton bolls engaged with the fingers removed z-and these cotton bolls will then be moved rearwardly by rotation-f the stripper member 45.

The stripper member .45 is rotated by means of a transmission orgear assembly flit-supported by supporting members 49 and 50, and the trans- :mission .48 is operatively connected to the trans- .vmission :34 by means of a shaft 5|. The cotton Ebolls which are engaged with the stripper rods 41 are removed therefrom by meansof a plurality ofstationary stripper rods 52 .whichare fixed to a supporting bar 53 extending transversely ibB- tween the sides .of :the frame. Therstatl na :stripper members 52 are of substantially .c-s-hape :in side elevation and extend forwardly from a upper position above the shaft 45, over the forwardside of this shaft, and thenibeneath the :shaft 45, terminating infree :ends .54 which are adapted to overlie :the inner end ;Qf:a;r arward1 gmoying conveyor 55.

The c nveyor 55 .is-disposedrbetwe n th sid .members H {of the frameand .operatively connected with the transmission 34 1throu ha. onveyor transmission :56. The upper run 0f the 'conveyors55pmoves rearwardlyso that the potton -dr opping-thereon will bemoved to the rear of the machine 1 and a suitable receiver or ,QOHQQfiQr :smay beattached orcoupled with the rear-ofthe @devicefor collecting theQOtton bollsgas'they are =discharged from the'rear end of the ;conveyor;55.

.In'the use; and operation of this device, the :frame- II] is attached as anfexamplato therear ;of atractor, with the shaft 33 connected to the ,power take-off or other suitable power means. .The device is then moved along a row of cotton plants and as the shaft 20 rotates. picker shafts -;22 will rotate as they swing with the rotation of .shaft 20. The picker fingers 21 will be normally .in their extended position, as shown in Figure 5, during the lower half of the swinging of the picker shafts 22 so that the cotton bolls will be wound partly about the picker shafts and enlgaged with the picker fingers 21. When the ,picker shafts 22 are in the upper half of each cycle of rotation they will engage between; pairs of stripper rods or bars 41 rotated with the rotation of the shaft 46. The rods. are spaced apart a distance sufiicient to-provide for contracting the picker fingers within the picker shafts 22, and as the fingers 21 are rocked inwardly toward the shaft 22, the cotton on these fingers which taper outwardly with the smaller ends outermost will be stripped therefrom and moved rearwardly and upwardly. The stationary strippers 52 will remove the cotton from the rotary stripper bars 41 and the cotton removed by the stationary stripper bars 352 will be dropped onto the rearwardly moving upper run of the conveyor 55.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed, but claim all variations falling Within the purview of the append d cl m What l-claim is:

1. In a cotton picker mounted on a mobile frame, .a transversely mounted rotatable shaft carried by the frame, rotary picker means mounted on said rotatable shaft and having operative association with the rods of a rotary dofiing means mounted adjacent thereto for sliding .engagement therewith, said picker meansineluding a plurality of radially disposed spindle members mounted for rotation relative to and with said transvers l mounted shaft, ear means as- -sociated-with theshaft-for rotation of the spindles on rotation of said shaft, a ll urality of pairs of roclgably mounted picker fingers, each of said pairsbeing mounted onpin means carried by the spind es and a ed l n tud nall eo w h saidfins o ea h pai n m lly Sp ced a a t a d r ham ns a d b ea h ai ffiIlEQ Z -.urs ns the n rs ou wa dl w t sa d fi er heme mo abl o a each t t e -run en a em n with-the ro ar ot n means- 2. In a cotton picker mounted on a mpbile frame a tr n verse m unt d r tat ble sh carried rby the am r a ni k me n mounted o sai r q ata l sh and ha in p- .erative association with the rods of a rotary dofiing means mounted adjacentthereto-for slidm enga emen t erew h said ri he .ihe hsl elud a p u ali y o adia ispos spin l memb rs m un e fo rota io re ativ t and width sai v rs ly :nmun e haft, said spindles being compr sed of radial y di n sed :tu ular m mbers havin -.2 ur l yof p osi ely henin rslotsspaoed.lqn itudi l y o aidt bw la members. sea een a sociat d w th th shaft for rotation of the spindles ongotatign of said shaft, a lurali y o a s of i cka v m unted hi he -finge s. each c s id a rsbe h mounted o pi means :ca r ed by the .snindle wi -.-s.a dfin ers 'Q eac nai n rma l spac apart, and spring means carried by each pair of r inse 'li i lg th fin er ou ward I wit s fingers being movable towardeachothenonenfsaeemen wit therot rndeffihs m GEORGE P. :LUGIUS.

ENQE 16 131 :The following references are. of record in :the file of this patent: 

